President Barack Obama’s new US defence posture – one that plans for “a smaller and leaner” military – is a significant moment in American policymaking. The US has built up the most capable armed forces in world, with the Pentagon budget today larger than that of the next 10 countries combined. Now, under severe budgetary pressure, the US is changing course. The US will cut at least $487bn from Pentagon spending over the next decade. It will scale back the army and marine corps. It will place a much stronger emphasis on the strategic challenge posed by China.
美國總統巴拉克•歐巴馬(Barack Obama)提出了一種國防新姿態，計劃建立「規模更小、更精練」的軍隊，這是美國政治決策中的一個重大時刻。美國已經建立起了全世界實力最強的武裝力量，目前五角大廈的預算比其後10個國家的國防預算加起來還要多。但眼下，由於面臨著嚴峻的預算壓力，美國正在調整戰略。美國計劃在未來十年至少削減4870億美元的國防預算，縮減陸軍和海軍陸戰隊規模，還將更加關注中國構成的戰略挑戰。